One question project: Akua Appah
If your poetry could whisper one truth into the heart of anyone who listens, what would you hope that truth to be?
Love Letter to My Unborn
Sweetheart, by the time you are reading this, I might be gone. But if not, God has graced me to not only give birth to you, but also to mother you. The only thing certain in life is today. Yes, you read that right. Plan for the future, rejoice for the time to come, but live in the reality that tomorrow is not promised. And that is the reason why I started this letter the way I did. For while writing this, I don’t know whether or not I will be alive by the time you read this. To be honest, I also don’t know if you will be born. The reality is that while writing this, I am not pregnant with you. But there is a hope in my heart that I will give birth to you one day. And this hope strengthens me with the faith to write you this love letter.
As the introduction of this letter has ended, let me tell you why I am writing you. Sweetheart, I want you to remember this important lesson. It took me 40 years of my life to discover it. Let me first start by saying that your grandparents were the definition of greatness. Not greatness the way our society defines it, but greatness in finding their own unique voice and living their authentic life. So if you wonder where your greatness is from, remember Angela and Wim. You know, the most important lesson Mama Angela taught me was to pray. She taught me to pray to the divine, the heavenly, with the assurance that I was heard. And silly me, I truly believed Mama Angela. So through my 40 years of life, prayers have carried me through heartbreak, betrayal, depression, suicide, and so much more. You know, dear, it doesn’t matter how many degrees you have. Even the money in your bank account, nor your closest friends, will be able to carry you through the deepest valleys that life has to offer us. Throughout my years, it was these prayers that have carried me.
And you know, now comes the greatest lesson that I learned in my deepest pain. In October 2023, your Grandpa Wim passed away. And you know, sweetheart, my soul had never been in a deeper pain. In all that I had been through, it was only prayers that carried me through that season. Asking the divine, our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, to carry me. And you know what. He did. Out of my deepest pain, our Heavenly Father birthed Love Letters in me and through me. The experience of deep pain gave birth to a refocus in my life. I have lost many things in life and moved on. But sweetheart, you can have all the wealth in this world, all the degrees. True wealth is to love and to be loved. Sweetheart, this is the important lesson I want to pass on to you. It might seem like a simple truth, but Alicia Keys said it so beautifully: “Everything means nothing if I ain’t got you.” And you know, sweetheart, when Wim passed away, everything that used to mean so much to me, means nothing to me now. All I want is you near me, together with those who continue to reciprocate my love for them.
Sweetheart, above all achievements in life, make sure you surround yourself with people that sincerely love, support, adore, cherish, and love you. Being surrounded by love is the greatest treasure life has to offer you. This is my great lesson for you and how I want you to remember me: as a woman who strived to embody the true essence of love in her daily encounters. I hope that this truth is injected in every heart that encounters me, my art and written words.
To learn more about Akua, go to her Instagram.
About Akua:
Akua Appah (1985) is a multifaceted storyteller and community builder, known for her energetic presence as an MC and her ability to create vibrant photograph, visual art and heartfelt spoken words. She is the founder of Heal Unite Grow and Love Letters Stories Night, providing platforms for emerging and established artists. Alongside her corporate career, Akua offers art classes and keynotes for young people, always sharing her joy and passion in everything she does.
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